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Transfer Rumor: Arsenal’s Lucas Perez on his way to Lazio

By Esteban Bailey

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Lucas Perez of Arsenal scores his sides second goal from the penalty spot during the EFL Cup Third Round match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal at City Ground on September 20, 2016 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Lucas Perez of Arsenal scores his sides second goal from the penalty spot during the EFL Cup Third Round match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal at City Ground on September 20, 2016 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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According to reports, Arsenal forward Lucas Perez might be on his way out of the club, after his agent confirmed interest from Serie A club, Lazio last summer.

Perez signed from Deportivo La Coruña in the summer of 2016 for £17.1m. He was seen as a consolation prize after the failed bid for Leicester striker, Jamie Vardy and the two shared similarities in their game.

Lucas struggled to get game time in North London, with 21 appearances and most coming off the bench, with a return of 7 goals.

Last summer, he was able to secure a loan move back to Deportivo, but he was unable to save his hometown club from relegation.

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Now with Unai Emery in charge of Arsenal, reports are saying that he will give the entire team a fresh look, which could potentially give Lucas a chance to make his mark for Arsenal.

However, it seems unlikely that Lucas Perez will play another match in an Arsenal shirt.

The main obstacle in getting him away from the Emirates seems to come from his massive wage bill from the four-year contract he signed in 2016.

Most clubs in the world cannot afford Premier League wages, especially for a player who may not be a game changer like Perez.

Considering the massive amount of attacking talent Arsenal have, such as Aubameyang, Lacazette, Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Danny Welbeck, etc. it seems that there is way too much competition for Lucas to properly show off his skills.

Unfortunate, when you remember that it was only two years ago that he scored 18 goals in 37 matches for Deportivo. He and Everton flop, Sandro Ramirez are cautionary tales about purchasing strikers from middling La Liga clubs, because of one season of good play.

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The physicality of the Premier League can be a terror for a lot of foreign based strikers making the move and we saw this year that even strikers with a great pedigree (Alvaro Morata) struggle.

A move to Lazio may serve best for everyone involved, most notably for Perez.

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